Bio

Cindy Pindral was promoted to Assistant Head Coach in July 2022 and enters her seventh season with the Michigan Tech volleyball team. She enters her sixth season as the lead Assistant Coach and was the Volunteer Coach during the 2016 season.

Pindral is involved with nearly all phases of the program, including skill development, recruiting, scouting, practice planning, film breakdown, and team travel. She also serves as the lead coach for the Huskies’ youth programs, including the Little Huskies Volleyball Club, All-Skills Camps, and position-specific clinics.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have Cindy as part of our coaching staff,” said head coach Matt Jennings. “She's a big asset for our program and our ability to train at an elite level, particularly with regards to the setter position. She was considered one of the best setters in the country during her senior year in high school. In college, she set for two internationally respected volleyball minds in Mary Wise at Florida, a coaching icon, and then for Keith Barnett at Colorado Springs, who was at one point one of the best players in the world as a member of our Olympic team. I look forward to working with and learning from Cindy. She is going to make us a better team and be a great role model for our team."

The 2021 team had a 25-7 overall record and finished ranked No. 22 in the final AVCA Top 25 poll. The Huskies won the GLIAC Regular Season Championship for the second straight season and the third time in program history. They went to their fourth straight NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Midwest Regional Semifinal for the fifth time in school history. Laura De Marchi and Anna Jonynas were named AVCA All-Americans and De Marchi was the AVCA Midwest Region Player of the Year. Five Huskies received All-GLIAC Honors with Anna Jonynas being named the GLIAC Player of the Year, the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Year, and on the All-GLIAC First Team. Laura De Marchi was the GLIAC Setter of the Year and on the All-GLIAC First Team. Olivia Ghormley (First Team) Carissa Beyer (Second Team), and Jillian Kuizenga (Honorable Mention) rounded out GLIAC awards.

After a postponement of the fall 2020 season due to COVID-19, the Huskies went 11-4 overall and 9-3 in GLIAC play during the spring 2021 season. Tech won a share of the GLIAC Regular Season Championship and was the No. 1 seed in the GLIAC Tournament, ultimately falling in the championship. Laura De Marchi was named the 2021 GLIAC Player of the Year, GLIAC Setter of the Year and to the All-GLIAC First Team after leading the nation in assists per set (12.72). Olivia Ghormley was the GLIAC Attacker of the Year and All-GLIAC First Team. Anna Jonynas (First Team), Megan Utlak (Second Team), Janie Grindland (Second Team), and Jillian Kuizenga (Honorable Mention) were also all-conference picks.

In 2019, Tech won its first NCAA Tournament match since 1995 while making its third straight appearance. The Huskies went 24-8 overall and 13-3 in the GLIAC, tallying the most wins since 1996. Matt Jennings was named GLIAC Coach of the Year. Laura De Marchi was named an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American, All-Midwest Region by the AVCA and D2CCA, CoSIDA Academic All-District, the GLIAC Setter of the Year, and to the All-GLIAC First Team and received a GLIAC Commissioner’s Award. Olivia Ghormley was named an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American, D2CCA Honorable Mention All-American, All-Midwest Region by the AVCA, and D2CCA, GLIAC Attacker of the Year, and All-GLIAC First Team. MacAulay Petersen (Second Team) and Megan Utlak (Honorable Mention) were also honored by the GLIAC.

During the 2018 campaign, Pindral helped lead Michigan Tech to a 23-7 overall record and 14-2 conference record, including the program’s second straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Most notably, Huskies Laura De Marchi and Olivia Ghormley earned AVCA All-American, All-Region, and All-GLIAC Awards for their efforts.

In 2017, Tech went 20-11 overall and 12-4 in the conference, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a decade. Pindral was instrumental in guiding four players to earn All-GLIAC honors, including freshman setter Laura De Marchi who was named GLIAC Setter of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and First Team All-GLIAC.  

Upon graduating Cum Laude from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS) with a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and Environmental Studies, Pindral played the 2012 winter season professionally in the Italian Serie C League as the starting setter for Gio Volley in Aprilia, Italy. She was named to the All-Tournament Team and earned the "Best Setter" award at the Gio Volley Tournament that season.

A three-year starter at UCCS, Pindral (formerly Bathelt) was the named Student-Athlete of the Year for the 2009-10 season and a CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2011. Pindral was also named to the 2011 Capital One Division II Academic All-District VII Volleyball Team, leading the Mountain Lions' offense with an average of 9.76 assists per set. She graduated with the sixth-highest assist total (2,151) in school history and the second-highest since the advent of rally scoring and the 25-point set. Her 976 assists in 2011 and 943 assists in 2009 are the two highest assist totals in the 25-point era. She earned a third-team all-RMAC selection in 2011, a second-team selection in 2009, and was named RMAC Setter of the Week twice during her career.

Pindral was the starting setter as a freshman during the 2008-09 season at the University of Florida, leading the team in assists and the Gators to the NCAA Sweet 16 appearance, an SEC championship, and a No. 10 national ranking. The Gators finished 27-4 overall and 18-2 in the SEC.

Pindral began her coaching career with Colorado Juniors Volleyball Club where she was a head coach, assistant coach, and the club’s lead setting coach over three seasons. She has also worked camps at the University of Texas, the United States Air Force Academy, and UCCS. She is an active member of USA Volleyball, American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), and is IMPACT Certified.

Pindral was inducted into the Pine Creek High School (Colorado Springs, CO) Athletic Hall of Fame in 2018 as a member of the inaugural class. She was a 2007 PrepVolleyball.com honorable mention All-American and was one of 50 finalists for Andi Collins Award for the nation’s best senior setter in 2007. She received Class 5A first-team all-state honors from the Denver Post in 2006 and 2007 and first-team all-state accolades from the Rocky Mountain News in 2007. She was also named to both the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News All-Colorado teams as a senior. Her teams won three district titles, a regional championship, two regional runner-up finishes, and the 2006 Metro League crown. She also led Pine Creek to a berth in the Colorado 4A state tournament in 2005, and the 5A state competition in 2006 and 2007.

Pindral resides in Painesdale, Michigan with her husband Devin, son Hank, and their two dogs.